


Fix

by airynothing



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Episode: s03e01 The Empty Hearse, Episode: s03e02 The Sign of Three, Episode: s03e03 His Last Vow, Gen, S3 Reaction Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-18
Updated: 2014-01-18
Packaged: 2018-01-09 04:33:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1141485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/airynothing/pseuds/airynothing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sherlock needs to fix John Watson.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fix

Sherlock needs to fix John Watson.

He first realizes this in a ridiculous restaurant, in a ridiculous situation, in a ridiculous disguise. Patching things together with words fails comprehensively. Soon he has the opportunity, the overriding imperative, to _rescue_ John Watson - but there's no fix in that. 

He tries fixing John with a bomb. John doesn't get the joke. Upon reflection, that was a terrible idea.

Next he applies himself with every ounce of his restraint, attention, and executive function - create the perfect wedding, mold the perfect marriage, fix John Watson. One month later John turns up, still cracked. Still needs a fix, then. Or maybe that's Sherlock.

Fix John Watson with civic-minded burglary. John acts like Sherlock's the one who's broken. Then Sherlock _is_ broken, and John, John needs more things fixed than Sherlock had imagined.

Sherlock tries to fix John Watson.

Sherlock burns through his resources, his tentative healing, profligately, heedlessly. He sends Wiggins to move furniture, he cashes in one of his chips and spends the planted knowledge of a tidy bolthole. He fixes John's hair, he fixes his coat. And then he breaks John Watson.

John breaks the furniture. Sherlock needs to fix more than ever. He spins, spins, spins a bullet into a miracle, blame into gratitude, truth into fool's gold. 

Fixing takes time. He keeps John close, studies him carefully. At Christmas he nudges the pieces back together again. He fixes the date, fixes the drinks, fixes Wednesday and Baskerville: you're even now, John. Tries to fix the thing that could break them all, stands transfixed; resorts at last to amputation, removing one problem, and himself, from the board. Fix that.

He patches, he plasters over cracks with exhortations to trust. It will have to hold. He wants to put it all on hold. He needs more time. He needs one more time.

Time turns back, the plane turns back. Once more into the breach. He will fix John Watson.


End file.
